


Alone

by Tsuyu, xphil98197



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-06-20
Packaged: 2018-04-05 05:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4167087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsuyu/pseuds/Tsuyu, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xphil98197/pseuds/xphil98197
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James has his doubts about how good he is for Q. Maybe his Quartermaster is safer if he just leaves him alone.<br/>"Alone is what I have. Alone protects me." ~ Sherlock</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Xphil98197: As always, Tsuyu came up with an angsty prompt to a picture. And we just couldn't resist. I think she gets a large amount of pleasure out of torturing James! But she does such a wonderful job of it, and at least she lets me have a happy ending.

'Alone. That's what you deserve. You kill all you touch. Richard, Vesper, M and now even Q is close to losing his life. All because of you! What were you thinking? Getting together with the Quartermaster? Did you think that you'll keep killing and he will make you guns and you will live happily ever after? What a ridiculous thought!' James took a swing from his glass and closed his eyes. It was all truth. But he loved Q. Even if the bastard hadn't told him his name yet, he still did. And the ghosts of his past came to remind him why he can never have what he craves most…

Q didn't understand why James was pushing him away. Alone in his bed in medical, he didn't know what was going to happen. The internal damage from the blast had taken a few months to show symptoms, and the doctors were being unusually cheerful. That made him suspicious. He reached for his tablet, and sent R a message to put one of the exploding pens he kept in his personal desk in James' next mission kit. He wiped away a tear, wishing that his agent was there.

It had been months since Q saw James. The man started distancing himself more and more so. He would take one mission after the other it was getting ridiculous beyond belief.  
"Overlord, 007 is back from his latest mission. I think he will return what's left of the weapons after he is done with medical." R sounded pleased. At least Q thought so. It seemed that James would more often meet her than any of the other boffins or Quartermaster himself. 'I guess he just thought it's not worth his while. Being with you. Who would want you when he has all of the world on his plate for the offer?'

***00Q**

Coming to work early was a huge pain in the ass. If he was able, he would do all night shifts. To bad people insisted he kept at least somewhat decent office hours. Q was trying to wake up with his second cup of Earl grey when flustered R came into his office and flopped on the sofa. He raised his eyebrow, the second in command wasn't one to have her feathers ruffled easily. He kept trying to drink his hot tea when R finally spoke. 

"Have you heard?"

"I just came into the office, I haven't checked in on the rumour mill just yet."

"It seems that Bond collapsed during the debrief. He was talking to M and suddenly he Iying on the floor unconscious. Medical is doing full scan of his health right..." She got silent when the mug in Q's had dropped to the ground and shattered.

Q had just gotten back to Q branch after too many weeks in medical. He knew 007 usually avoided medical and chose to debrief first instead. The agent's remedy of choice was alcohol. So for medicine to actually be necessary, this wasn't something minor. James hadn't spoken to him in weeks, so he wasn't sure if this was something ongoing, or something that had occurred on the mission. He couldn’t remember if he was still listed as James’ next of kin in his file. Would medical call him?

"Q speaking!"

"Agh, I am so glad you decided to pick your phone this time!" Eve sounded worried somehow. 

"Eve, are you sick?"

"No, but you should come to medical?"

"Why? Is there something wrong with you?"

"No, but you are still listed as Bond's next of kin..."

"So? You know we haven't been interacting or even seeing each other for months..."

"Yes, I know. Hell, everybody knows. You've been glaring daggers at him. But he collapsed during debrief with M and as papers haven't been changed... I am calling you!"

“So nice that someone finally decided to tell me what’s really going on instead of the gossip!” Q slammed down the phone and got up as fast as he could. He was still sore from all of the time in medical himself. All that he could think of as he waited for the elevator were worst case scenarios.

Medical was a flurry of activity when the elevator doors opened. 

“I’m sure it's just something I ate, or the water!” James was insisting in a loud voice, trying to get away from a nurse who was holding the equipment to draw blood.

“007!” Q’s voice was firm. “I have seen you stitch yourself back together with dental floss and avoid medical when you came back. Let the woman do her job. Clearly something is wrong!”

“See? And Q was such a good patient all the time he was down here, we didn’t have him try to escape once!” the nurse scolded James as she finally got a blood sample.

“I knew he was hurt, I didn’t realize he was here for a long time,” James shook his head and leaned up against the wall. “Ohhh. That didn’t feel good.”

"Sit down mister, before I have to tie you to the bed with some cuffs Q personally got us to deal with you!" The nurse threatened and scurried away. "The doctor will be with you shortly!" 

"Q this, Q that... I am sure you are perfect in all that you do!" Bond glared at Q while the young man was standing close to the examination table the agent was sitting on. 

"It's not my fault you keep running away..."

'Of course it is when I try to avoid you...' Bond thought to himself. 

"James, what is wrong with you? With us? With me?" You could hear insecurity in Q's voice and that was a rare thing to happen.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, usually I can shake off a flu bug much faster than this,” James sighed. “I can’t remember ever passing out.”

“So let them do their job, and figure out what’s wrong,” Q scolded.

“What’s wrong with us? What’s wrong with us is that everything I touch breaks. So you are away from me where you are safe.”

“James…” Q put his hand on James’ shoulder, and was surprised how bony he felt. “When was the last time you ate?”

“I can’t, I just feel sick,” James wouldn’t meet Q’s eyes.

“How long?”

“Since the last mission.”

“But James, your mission was in Switzerland,” Q was confused. “Agents don’t usually get sick from traveling there. Let’s get you shaved and washed up.” Q reached for the shaving cream and started to lather James’ neck. “What-”

“I don’t know,” James knew Q was talking about the bump that had appeared under his chin. “It was just there one day when I woke up.”

"James... Why didn't you tell that to the nurse? She could've checked that as well." Q started with the straight razor at Bond's neck. 

"It's nothing worth worrying about..."  
"James, please..."

Q was keen on concentrating on the neck in front of him than looking at those sky blue eyes that were showing pain.

“Its nothing Q, I’m sure it will go away,” James protested. Q ignored him and went to go find the doctor on duty.

“I’m sure it's nothing to worry about Quartermaster, but let’s find out just to be sure,” the doctor turned to James. “I’m Doctor Sullivan, 007. Let’s see if we can’t find out what’s wrong and let your young man stop worrying. I’m going to order a needle biopsy and CT/PET scan.”

“They don’t order those tests when nothing is wrong James,” Q scolded as the doctor left.

“Please, don’t-” James winced. “My head is killing me and I’m so tired. And my stomach…”

Q tucked a blanket around him and sat down by his bedside to wait. He couldn’t help but notice that James still had his gold band on.

***00Q***

Several hours later

“007, Quartermaster,” Doctor Sullivan came back in the room. “I’m afraid I have some bad news. I don’t think this is as simple as we were hoping for. It seems to be a type of lymphoma. I’m going to order a surgical biopsy to find out what type, and decide what our plan of attack should be.”

“Lymphoma?” Q stood up and knocked over his chair. “Isn’t that cancer?”

“Q, please,” James took his hand. “Let the doctor do his job.”

“Yes, Quartermaster, it is,” Doctor Sullivan looked sad. “It is very treatable, just not enjoyable.”

"James..."

"Dr. Sullivan, I want Q not to be allowed to stay with me during all this process."

"But 007..."

"James!"

"No, doctor, I don't want him to be present. It's much better if I am off on my own!"

"James, please don't..."

"Quartermaster, I revoke my request to mark you as my next of kin. I don't want you to be present anymore with me!" James closed his eyes so that he doesn't have to look his lover in the eye. 'He is better off without me, I am just trying to to save him from the heartache.'

"Quartermaster, I am sorry but Bond stated his request." Sullivan looked sadly at the young man.  
As Quartermaster left the room in furry speed and the doctor swore he would have slammed the doors so hard the hinges would have fallen out. 

"Now, let's wheel you to the CT/PET scans so we can get over this as soon as we can.”

Doctor Sullivan got James ready for the test. He came into the room carrying a metal tube with a neon radiation warning symbol on it.

“Now 007, we are going to inject the iodine. It has radioactive trackers we can trace during the scan, because cancer cells move faster than normal cells,” Doctor Sullivan injected the iodine into the IV. “I know it's none of my business, 007, but if you really wanted to be on your own, you wouldn’t still be wearing that ring. We are going to let the iodine trackers do their job and then wheel you in for the scan. And you are going to need to take the ring off for the scan-”

“No! That doesn’t come off!” James got angry. Who was this doctor to give his opinions and then say he had to take off his ring?

“Its metal, 007,” Doctor Sullivan explained. “I will hold it and give it right back afterwards.”  
James slipped it off, and all he could do as he was wheeled into the scan was remember…

“Its not expensive or anything, but it was my Grandfather’s. He wore it for 63 years, and he brought my Grandma coffee in bed every day after he retired. He’s the one I was named after,” Q took James’ hand, and let him read the inscription in the candle light. ‘All my love, Gabriel’. “You asked what my name was. And I thought it was only fair to tell you, before-” Q dropped to one knee. “I know we haven’t been dating very long, but if there is one thing I know from working at MI6, its that time is short. Will you marry me, James?”

"It's for the best, it's for the best..." James was whispering during the CAT scan. Remembering the time when Q proposed to him wasn't the best when he wasn't supposed to move at all. The memory of Gabriel proposing to him was one of the few happiest ones that kept him sane during the hardest moments of his life. He of course accepted the offer but they haven't made it official. They were each other's next of kin in MI6 and to their standards it was basically marriage. Bond kept thinking of the perfect place for them to get married and the perfect time. He thought about Paris, Rome, Athens, even was thinking about Venice during the festival or Bahamas during the beautiful beautiful spring. But most of the time missions got in the way or they were spending too much time in bed to do anything else. But now he had to forget it all. Surely after everything he said and done to Q... And those 3 or was it 4 months he spent kipping on Alec's couch was the last nail to the coffin that he was steadily making for himself. It also probably meant that he should start worrying about the real coffin soon... It was cancer after all…

“Alright, 007, let’s take a look at these scans and discuss a treatment plan,” Doctor Sullivan’s voice broke into James’ thoughts. “Now I don’t want you to panic, this type of Lymphoma is very treatable. Let’s start with four rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, and then see how you respond.”

“How long do I have?”

“Mr. Bond, try to think positive!” We have a 95% success rate with this type of cancer,” Doctor Sullivan scolded. “But I would start thinking about what you want to do after treatment. I don’t think returning to the Double O program will be possible.”

James walked out of the office in a daze. 

“James, fuck James, what the hell!” Alec tripped on the empty Scotch bottle as he walked in the door, the living room dark. James was passed out on the couch, sweating and pale, with tears running down his cheeks. 

“Q, it's Alec,” he spoke softly into his cell phone. “Look I don’t know what James told you, but something is wrong. He needs you.”

“He doesn’t want me Alec,” Q sighed. “He told medical that he wants me taken off his chart as his emergency contact.”

“Well I am going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Alec wasn’t surprised. “Us agents are a stubborn bunch. Get your ass over here Boffin, and talk to him. He is hurting and he can’t stay on my couch.”

"Alec, haven't you heard what I said. He doesn't WANT me to be there for him! Why do you think he was spending time at your place? I surely haven't kicked him out... He ran away... And when he collapsed during debrief with M and ended up in medical he..." Q's voice wavered. "He's got cancer, Alec... And he doesn't want me to help him! And I would... I would help him... I am creating... Creating... Never mind..." Q hung up on the other agent. Leaving Alec standing and staring at his phone while the his dumb friend groaning from hungover.

“What were you thinking James?” Alec demanded. “That boy adores you! What are you trying to prove by being so stubborn?”

“Just leave me alone Alec, if I am going to die, he is better off without me,” James didn’t even open his eyes.  
“Your FIANCE is beside himself James,” Alec’s phone rang again. “Yes? Hello Eve. No, I didn’t… no I don’t know what James is thinking. Clearly he isn’t. He is still on my couch, but he won’t be once he is sober enough to leave. I know when to stay out of something.”

“I can take a hint,” James sat up. “Fine, you take his side too. Even medical does.”

“It has nothing to do with sides, James,” Alec tried to reason with him. “That man is the best thing that ever happened to you. Life is hard enough without you sabotaging yourself.”

“What is he going to do when something happens to me Alec? Oh wait, I don’t even get to die a 00 anymore. I am supposed to decide what I want to do next! What next is there? I wasn’t ever supposed to get old.”

"Tell M, I am leaving. Tell medical, I won't accept their treatment. Tell Q... Never mind... I must cut all the ties with him... Ripping off band aid now will be much better..." James stood up and almost fell face front onto the floor. "I am good... Goodbye, Alec." He took suit jacket and left.

"James... What in the name of god?!" Alec grabbed his own phone and called Eve. "Eve, he just left... And it sounded like a goodbye. He even left his phone on the table and..." He got silent. "Boze moj (oh god)... He left the ring on the phone. Eve... What are we supposed to do now Eve?" Alec sat on the phone and listened to the frantic woman explain when the phone (Q customized it for Bond alone and all agents were keen on getting their hands on it) and the gold wedding band with some sort of inscription sat on the glass table and mocked him.

***00Q***

Bond was driving recklessly. He took Aston Martin and went to Scotland. He knew Kinkade was still there, guarding his family home. Now was the time where James decided to gift the house to the man who took care of him before the death of his parents more than his parents did so themselves. It was only proper...

“James, what have you done?” Kincaid caught James as he stumbled out of the car. “And what are you doing driving? That young man of yours has been worried sick, and so has Master Alec.”

“Its better this way,” James handed Kinkaid the empty Scotch bottle. “This way I’m the only one that suffers.”

“Let’s get you some coffee…” Kincaid sigh and helped him into the house.

***00Q***

Q was swearing, sweat dripping down the protective goggles as he made adjustments to the atmosphere in the containment chamber. The nanobots swarmed against the glass, tiny specs that to the naked eye looked like magnetic dust.

“Lymphoma… attack only cancer cells… boost immune system,” Q was muttering to himself. “Help his body to fight it like the flu… same symptoms.”

***00Q***

James gripped his head in his hands. He wasn’t sure what was worse, the banging in his head, or the slamming of cupboards as Kincaid made his opinion well known, along with his infamous coffee. The smell of the coffee was turning his stomach, and he couldn’t remember the last time he ate food that didn’t leave him sick.

“Drink this,” Kincaid ordered, handing him a mug of coffee black as sin. “If you can handle that Scotch, you can damn well drink this. Making that boy worry about you! Best thing that ever happened to you James, and you’re acting like a damn idiot.”

“You have no idea-”

“I have every idea!” Kincaid was furious. “You young people these days have no sense of commitment. How Gabriel handles you going off and sleeping with everything that moves on mission is beyond me. But this? You left him because he loves you? What kind of nonsense is that?”

"It's not..." The smell of the coffee was revolting to say the least. "Commitment is what Q has too much of... He is going to stay with me out of pity. And I... I don't want pity. I want him to remember me as I was before all this... Not some old cripple that is throwing up his guts in the bowl or lost all of his hair." James put back the mug on the counter and looked at the man in front of him. "I decided. I changed my will. All the things in the moors are going to go to you once I am gone. All the things back in London are either way going to be destroyed as per my request or will stay with Gabriel, even tho I am sure he already got rid of it all..."

"James... But isn't the illness treatable? I am certain they can do something..."

"I don't want to prolong the inevitable. Either here or in the field. If I ever made Gabriel my husband, he would only have ended up being a widower..." James stood up and swayed from side to side again. Kincaid grabbed his forearm and hooked it about his shoulders. 

"Let's get you to bed. I have some calls to make before you ruin your life!"

“Gabriel, it's Kincaid,” Kincaid whispered above James’ snores. “Somehow he got here safely, empty bottle of Scotch in hand. Yes, I’m going to call Alec next.”

***00Q***

Q packed the syringe in a lead case and swapped his lab coat for the cardigan hanging on his chair. 

“R, I need the fastest car we have in the fleet. I will call you when I get there. Have Doctor Sullivan on standby.”

***00Q***

By the time Q got to Skyfall, it had been dark for some time. His tea had gotten bitter, and his hands were cold. His fair was standing on end from constantly running his fingers through it, stressed from driving for the first time in a long time.

“Hello Gabriel,” Kincaid met him at the door with a warm mug of tea and took his coat. “Do you think there is any chance it will work?”

“I bloody hope so,” Q sighed. “Doctor Sullivan told me he refused treatment and resigned. I don’t know what else there is.”

Q looked down at James on the cot next to the kitchen fire. He was pale, dark circles under his eyes. He had lost so much weight in the last few days, his shoulders and hips were sticking out painfully from beneath his ragged clothes. A rough, hand woven tartan was tucked around his waist, and his sweaty shirt showed his ribs clearly.

“Forgive me James,” Q leaned down and kissed his forehead. He could smell the stale Scotch. He took the syringe and plunged it into James’ arm. “Its better if I am not here when he wakes up. Alec should be here in a bit.”

As soon as the needle was in James was up disoriented.  
"Gabriel, what... What are you doing...to me?" He grabbed his head when the nanobots he knew nothing about insisted on starting to do the job. "Q... Is this... Are you... Poison...ing..."  
Q gently held him when Bond lost consciousness.

"Shhh... It will be alright, James. It will be more than fine... Even if you... Don't... Want me... Anymore..." He slowly lowered the man to the makeshift bed and kissed him again.

"Gabriel, why are you doing this?" Kincaid was ready to lock the two stubborn men in a cupboard room and leave it locked until they solved the issues.

"It's for the best..." Q smiled gently at the old man. "I created something... It will cure James... And maybe... make him... Stronger... Alec will be here soon. He will deal with the furious James much better than I ever will." He stood up, grabbed his satchel and went to the door. "Look after him for me, will you?" He smiled sadly and left. You could hear car engine starting and the man driving off.

 

"Bollocks! What a pair of bloody idiots they are!" Kincaid drank his tea and waited for another man yet to show up. Hopefully with reinforcement of logic.

“Thank goodness Alec, these idiots are too much for me!” Kincaid shook his hand as Alec shook off his jacket, the rain dripping from his hair.

“Are they still insisting they are better apart?” Alec frowned. “James, what the hell is wrong with you?” He put the phone and ring next to James on the bunk. “He left already? Damn Boffin. He said he worked out one of those computer lab miracles of his. Hope it at least puts some sense into James, if not health.”

“What…” James sat up and grabbed the wall, disoriented. “He poisoned me!”

“He does have a fever,” Alec felt his head. “But he has some color at least. Poison? What are you rambling about? Q is trying to help James, let him! I brought your jacket.”

Alec handed James the jacket, and a small leather pouch fell out, a clink sounding as it hit the floor. Kincaid picked up the pouch and opened it.

“Master Bond’s ring, James?” Kincaid held up the band to the light. “I remember the day your mother put this on your father’s hand. It was a beautiful ceremony.”

"I was thinking... Thinking of putting it on Gabriel's finger... You can sell it Kincaid, I don't need it anymore!" James stayed seated on the cot, clutching his splitting head. 

 

Suddenly there was another roar of an engine outside.

"Thank god the Boffin decided to return..." Alec whispered and then his face clouded. "This is not a car, it's a helicopter! Bond! What have you done now?" He shook the half dizzy man. "What have you done now?"

“Sell Master Bond’s ring,” Kincaid shook his head. “That boy really does have it bad.”  
There was a knock at the door, and Kincaid went to let in M.

“Alec, how is he?” Mallory asked. “The Research and Development agents said that Q snuck something out.”

“Dammit, I said I resigned,” James groaned. “You have no right to be on my private property!”  
“When your fiance starts injecting national secrets into your arm, it becomes my problem!” M retorted. “They have never been tested on a human subject before.”

“He wouldn’t have done it if he had another option,” Alec sighed. “The idiot refused treatment.”

“Doctor Sullivan said it was very treatable,” M was confused.

“What’s the point of curing the cancer if I can’t be at MI6?”

“No one is firing you!” M laughed. “We don’t usually have to deal with an agent retiring. Its a very nice problem. I was thinking of putting you in charge of training new field recruits.”

“At a desk? So I can be the laughing stock of the junior agents!”

“No, somewhere you can be sure to come home at night so I don’t have to explain to Q why you have disappeared!”

"Where is my reckless Quartermaster anyway?" M looked around the old kitchen

"Young Gabriel left as soon as he was done. He left with his car." Kincaid whispered, dreading the reply.

"How he could left with a car? He doesn't even have a driver's license!" Bond was up and swayed again. "What's with the swaying? I am not yet on my death bed!"

"About that... What did you say about injecting Bond with national secrets?" Alec looked at M and squinted his eyes.

"Ungh..." M stalled the explanation. "He stole nanobots R&D department was developing to help injured agents heal faster. He then reprogrammed them to attack the particular cancer Bond has... I swear we don’t pay him enough..." 

Everyone was gawking at him.

"Do you mean... He found a cure for cancer?" Alec asked amazed.

"Well that one was treatable to begin with, but yes, yes he did. And now he is on a run because stealing nanobots is a matter of national security and he should be named a traitor and hunted down..." 

James stood up again. He put on the jacket and was close to the door before almost collapsing again. 

"This is getting tiresome." He sighed. "I must find him... The moors is not the safest place during day time... And he is there now, when it's almost night. I have to find him..."

“That boy never does anything half ass,” Alec laughed. “You just sit down James, I think I know where to find him.” Alec grabbed his jacket and walked out into the storm. Sure enough, there was a flickering light in the chapel, and a car parked next to it.

“Q, what the hell are you doing?” Alec stopped short as he saw Q sleeping on the bench, every candle in the chapel lit. His glasses were off, and he looked like a small child, curled up with his hand under his chin. “Q, wake up!”

Q’s eyes flew open as Alec shook him.

“He can’t die! I don’t care-”

“Shhh, Q, it's alright,” Alec brushed the hair out of Q’s eyes. “What’s this about national secrets and no driver’s license?”

“Ummm…” Q wouldn’t meet Alec’s eyes. “Who said anything about that?”

"Which part?" He raised an eyebrow. 

"Both, either!"

"Well... Bond sounded surprised when Kincaid said you drove here. And M enlightened us on the matter of national security. What were you thinking? Stealing stuff from MI6?"

Q sat up and rubbed his face. 

"I had to do something because James... Bond won't accept treatment nor let me be close to him. “And now... Now I have to run or M will imprison me for treachery." He stood up but Alec didn't let him go. 

"I insist you talk to James. M said something about giving him an office job." Q laughed out loud. "But I guess he will just bite a bullet and kill himself before resorting to that..."

“No!” Q jumped up and ran out of the chapel.

“What the bloody hell are you thinking? I didn’t throw away a promising career is espionage to have you eat a bullet!” Q smacked James across the face.

M tried not to laugh, he really did. And was almost successful.

“Goddammit Boffin!” Alec caught him around the waist and picked him up, still swinging at James. “Maybe James is still a bit out of it?”

“Q, why don’t we let Alec talk some sense into James?” M suggested. “And I can drive that car back to MI6 before they report it stolen. And you miss 008’s mission. You did promise her you wouldn’t let R run the next one, after that incident with the doors not opening.”

“What the bloody hell is this?” Q took the leather bag Kincaid handed him. The ring fell into his hand.

“I think that’s a conversation for James to have with you, Gabriel,” Kincaid escorted Alec and M into the living room.

“James?” Q asked, tears in his eyes.

"Well... Gabriel..." James looked him in the eye. "I've been thinking... Since you gave me... The ring, I thought I should return the favour. I found my father's ring... I've been trying to think of the date... And the place..."

"James..." 

"And now it seems I've lost the the one you gifted me..." James looked around lost.

"James..."

"And I am so sorry about all the things... I don't know what came over me... And I am sorry... I can't... Humph.." Soft lips were on his and he responded with instinct. Kissing him gently and savoring the taste of the man he knew for a long time. The blond felt a ring being slipped on his ring finger and when they parted he saw Gabriel smiling at him. 

"James... Any place or time will be perfect... You know I never cared for pompous celebrations and festivities!"

“You will let me make an honest man out of you?” James laughed.

“An honest spy, maybe,” Q wiped his eyes.

“Q, let’s bring 007 back to medical and see how that experiment of yours is working,” M suggested from the doorway. That will keep him out of your hair while you have 008 to watch over.”

“Yes, sir,” Q nodded. “But I think maybe you should drive.”

***00Q***

“Remarkable,” Doctor Sullivan studied the scan. “I can’t find a trace of anything. That young man of yours is something, 007. I would hang on to him.”

“Something… that he is,” James smiled, looking down at the golden band that Q had replaced on his finger. “My M would have loved to have seen this.”

“Yes, she would have,” Alec agreed. “Q asked me to make sure you didn’t disappear without letting him know the results.

***00Q***

Bond strutted to Q branch like he owned it. To be exact, he kinda did cuz his husband of 3 years was the Quartermaster himself. Today was their 3 year anniversary and James came to steal Q for a weekend in Venice. He had it all planned out - lots of sex and walking in the sun. 

"Quartermaster..." He greeted the thin man at his work station. 

"007..." The dark haired man smiled at him. "Just a moment while I tie loose ends with 006!" 

"Bond, get the boffin out of Q branch before he tries to figure out what you have planned!" Alec's voice could be heard over the coms.


End file.
